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This Day In Sports History (March 17th) — Bell Centre

It was on this day in 1996 that the Montreal Canadiens played the first game in their new arena, the Molson Centre. The Canadiens hosted the New York Rangers and beat them by a score of 4-2.

The arena was named after Molson, Inc., a brewing company that owned the team at the time the arena opened. However, when Molson decided to sell the team, they also sold the naming rights, which led to Canadian telecommunications company Bell Canada buying the purchasing them. As of September 1st, 2002 the arena would be known as the Bell Centre. Its 21,407 seating capacity for NHL games is the largest of any arena in the league.

The Bell Centre is known throughout the NHL as one of the loudest in the league. Montreal has some of the noisiest and most enthusiastic fans in the world. If you ever have the opportunity to watch a game at this venue, you will not be disappointed.